1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to a developing device and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus including the developing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus prints images on a recording medium through several processes, which may include irradiating light modulated according to image information onto a photoconductor to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoconductor, supplying toner to the electrostatic latent image to develop the electrostatic latent image into a visible toner image, and transferring and fixing the toner image onto the recording medium. The electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a developing device which contains toner.
The photoconductor and the toner may be provided in the form of a replaceable cartridge that is commonly referred to as a ‘developing device’. When the toner in the developing device is exhausted, the developing device may be removed from the electrophotographic image forming apparatus and replaced with a new developing device.